


Back Down the Paths

by lightnwolf101



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-07 12:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21458065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightnwolf101/pseuds/lightnwolf101
Summary: Takes place after Chapter 120 of manga. Eren achieved his goal to free the Eldians, but it comes at a great price that makes him question if it was all worth it. When a new opportunity is presented to him, he jumps at the chance to prevent as much tragedy as possible, starting from the past.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager
Comments: 11
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in August 2019 when Chapter 120 of the manga had just come out, before Eren finally reveals his true intentions. So this work will be off from what's going on in the manga.

Eren blinked. He saw Zeke kneeling before him, clenching his head in his hands. He noticed where they were. They were back at the Paths that connect to the Coordinate. They had just viewed their father’s memories but it felt has if everything had happened in an instant.

“He… he didn’t brainwash you…”

Eren looked back down at Zeke. His half-brother was reeling from what he had seen in the memories.

“You developed these views on your own. Our father… he simply let you do it on your own.”

Eren merely stared at him in response.

“He learned from his mistakes… and never forgot about his first family…” Tears were now streaming down Zeke’s face. He saw the view of his father that he built up his entire life crumbling before him.

He looked up at Eren, “You truly believe this? You believe that all Eldians should be free that way?”

“We were all born into this world after all, Zeke. We are meant to be here.”

Zeke’s eyes widened in surprise, tears still streaming down. He sobbed. He saw that the people of Paradis were innocent in Grisha’s memories and how Marley had inflicted pain and suffering upon them for sins they did not know their ancestors committed. He saw now that Eldians were not the source of all suffering.

Eren waited for Zeke to calm. After a few hiccups, Zeke stood up. He looked at Eren, who felt a sense of new purpose emanating from his brother. Zeke looked back at the girl still kneeling on the sand.

“Founder Ymir, reform Eren’s body in the real world.” The girl immediately got to work and started sculpting from the sand. Eren looked at her and saw that she was making a new body for him, starting from the head. He looked at Zeke in surprise. Zeke held his hand out to him, “Come, brother, we have Eldians to free.”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Mikasa watched as Armin shot a thunder spear at the Cart Titan. It landed into its eye. He pulled the pin, causing the spear to explode. The titan yelled as its side of the head was blown off. Mikasa took her chance. In an instant, she sliced the titan’s front legs off, causing it to fall forward. She flipped over its body and landed on its nape. Immediately, she sliced at it, releasing the shifter. It was a woman with dark long hair. She looked at Mikasa in panic.

Before the shifter could do anything, Mikasa swiftly sliced her head off. The body slumped down. Mikasa merely sighed. She didn’t want to see where the head landed. She got off the titan’s body that was now starting to fade away. Armin landed next to her. He looked at her in worry, “Mikasa…”

She didn’t respond and looked at where the Zeke and Eren are.

_Eren…_

Suddenly, she felt a sense of foreboding. Eren needed her help. Using her gear, she flew off the wall and started heading towards their location.

“Mikasa!” Armin shouted. He started to follow her.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Gabi landed on her back from the recoil of the gun. She got up and saw Zeke screaming in despair as Eren’s head landed in his hand. She slumped onto the ground. She turned her head and saw that Falco’s titan had collapsed. She sobbed.

Falco was safe… but at the cost of Porco.

Reiner, seeing that Eren was shot down, started to put his hand down. He saw no point in catching his once friend now that he was dead.

On the other hand, Connie and Jean stared in disbelief.

“EREN!” Jean shouted in grief.

Gabi looked at Eren’s headless body. She didn’t know what to feel anymore after everything she learned from her experience. This man that Marley portrayed as the devil, who was he really?

She heard a sizzling sound. She turned her head and became shocked at what she was seeing. Zeke was no longer screaming but rather had a determined look. From Eren’s head, she could see his neck starting to reform.

“No way…” she said.

Reiner saw what was happening. _No, no, no!_ he thought. _This can’t happen! Not after everything!_ He lifted his hand again to grab Eren.

“No! We won’t let you!” Jean shouted. He launched a spear at Reiner’s neck. It exploded and did some damage, but it wasn’t enough to stop him.

“Shit!” Connie cursed. He landed on the nearby house and hastily tried to reload a spear.

Reiner’s hand was just over Eren and Zeke when another spear landed into it. It blew off his pinky and ring fingers. It was Mikasa, rushing to aid Eren. She took a quick look at Eren. He was reforming his body unusually fast. He formed halfway of his upper body so far.

Suddenly, another headache came. It was even more painful than the others_. Not now…_ Mikasa thought as she felt her sight become unfocused. Memories flashed before her. From the day he killed the human trafficker to one of the last things he said to her.

_Mikasa. I’ve always hated you._

Because her headache had disrupted her focus, she did not see Reiner lifting his damaged hand and bringing it down onto her.

“MIKASA!” Jean, Connie, and Armin shouted.

It all happened in an instant. Mikasa landed on the ground. She shouted as she felt bones break from the impact. She attempted to get up but could not because of the unbearable pain all over her body. She noted that she had landed a feet away from Eren. Zeke looked at her in shock, but Mikasa did not care. She stared at Eren as his body formed. She felt her vision fading as she tried to memorize every feature of his face. Finally, everything faded to black.

_Eren…_ It was Mikasa’s last thought.

Gabi saw what had happened to Mikasa, who protected her from Kaya and treated her kindly despite everything. “No… she didn’t deserve this,” she whispered. She saw Reiner once more lifting his hand, either to reach for Eren or swat Mikasa once again to ensure she was dead. _No… no more of this!_ Gabi thought. She got up and ran towards them. She stopped in front of Mikasa and spread her arms out. Crying, she shouted, “Reiner, please stop!”

He froze, unable to hurt his cousin. Jean and Connie took this distraction and flew close to his jaw. They launched spears at both sides of his jaw, causing it to drop open. Armin flew close and threw another spear into his mouth. The explosion caused Reiner to fly out of the nape. He landed onto the ground, unconscious. His titan form collapsed as if its puppet strings had been cut.

Seeing Reiner defeated, Jean, Connie, and Armin rushed to Mikasa. Gabi was kneeling next to her, trying to wake her up. Seeing the three coming to her side, Gabi sobbed and said, “I’m so sorry…”

“No,” Armin said in horror. Mikasa was laying on her stomach, her face towards Eren. There was a pool of blood around her head. Her eyes were staring blanking at Eren, who was starting to reform his legs. Armin kneeled next to Mikasa and started shaking her.

“Mikasa, please get up.” She did not respond, her eyes still staring blankly. He felt for her pulse on her wrist. There was none. Armin broke down.

“No, no, please…” he cried out. He heard a choked sob next to him. Jean and Connie knelt next to him. Both were holding back tears.

“First, Sasha. Now, her…” Connie said in grief.

Zeke watched the scene before him with a look of pity. Everyone did not notice Eren finally regenerating his entire body.

* * *

Eren blinked as his vision cleared. He was back and alive. However, he did not expect to see the sight in front of him.

A feet away from him was Mikasa. She was staring at him, her eyes blank and a pool of blood around her head. Armin, Jean, Connie, and Gabi were hunched over her, crying in sorrow.

“Mikasa…?” Eren said in confusion. He lifted himself up and started crawling towards her, not noticing that he was naked. They noticed him coming towards them. Armin, Jean, and Connie could not muster their anger towards him and let him come close. Eren put his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her, “Mikasa, get up.”

She did not move or respond at all. She continued to stare. Eren looked at Armin, who shook his head. It was as if something snapped in Eren. Tears started to fall down his face as he shook his head.

“No, no, no! Mikasa!” he screamed. He continued shaking her, hoping that Armin was wrong and that she would be okay.

“Mikasa, please, get up!” When she still did not respond, he pressed his forehead onto the ground and punched at it. “Damn, damn, damn! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”

_I didn’t mean for this to happen…_

Armin, Jean, Connie simply watched Eren break down. None of them made a move to comfort him. Gabi and Zeke watched in surprise, not used to seeing him like this. They were used to his calm and calculating demeanor. Eren remembered one of the last things he said to her.

_Mikasa. I’ve always hated you._

Remembering that caused Eren to cry even more. The truth was that Eren did not hate Mikasa at all. In fact, it was the exact opposite. However, if there is one thing that Eren hated above all else, it is someone being a slave to anything. Whether it was to another civilization or to their own bloodline. So that was why Eren said all those things to Mikasa and Armin. He wanted to free Mikasa from her Ackerman bloodline and Armin from Bertholdt’s memories. He not only wanted to free Mikasa from her instincts as an Ackerman but he also wanted to free her from himself. He did not want her to be a slave to him. However, it seemed to be pointless in the end.

“Eren.”

He looked up, tears streaming down his face. Zeke was holding his hand out to him. He looked at Eren with sympathy.

“Eren, please, we have to start the Rumbling now.”

Eren took one last look at Mikasa.

_I’m so sorry…_

He took Zeke’s hand. He closed his eyes and then screamed at the top of his lungs. Armin froze. Reiner and Falco woke up. They felt as if a bolt of electricity had shocked them.

_It begins, huh…_ was Armin’s thought.

_No… no… we failed…_ Reiner lamented.

_What’s going on?_ Falco wondered.

The earth started to shake. The soldiers from both sides immediately tried to find cover while avoiding the titans. It seemed as if the shaking would never stop.

The wall started to crack all over. A distance away from Eren and the others, they saw a hand shoot out of the wall.

“We have to get out of here!” Connie shouted.

Jean and Armin picked up Mikasa while Connie grabbed Gabi. Eren picked Zeke up and carried him on his back. They ran to get away from the walls. They passed Reiner, who was slowly getting up.

“Reiner, get Falco and run!” Gabi shouted. He nodded and picked up Falco, who was still disoriented.

The walls were crumbling down, revealing the Colossal Titans surrounding Shiganshina. The Rumbling had begun…

* * *

_A week later…_

Eren sat in front of a gravestone with a red scarf in his lap. He fingered the material. Louise had given it to him, telling him that Mikasa had purposely left it. The implication was not lost on Eren.

_I’ll wrap that thing as many times as you want._

He smiled bitterly. _I never even done that._

The Rumbling had been successful and the Marley soldiers immediately surrendered. They and the remaining Warriors were taken into custody. Now that the Rumbling had been demonstrated, the rest of the world was silenced. They would not dare to invade Paradis. The island’s safety was ensured. The Eldians were free.

“But at what cost?” Eren lamented quietly.

After the Rumbling, Eren immediately put an end to the Yeagerists since his mission was now finished. He let the military arrest them. Floch being less than happy was an understatement. He was enraged, believing Eren was betraying them. On the other hand, Eren could care less and it wasn’t his fault that Floch misunderstood his intentions. While Floch believed that Eren should rule a new empire, it was never Eren’s intentions. He simply wanted the Eldia’s freedom. Unlike Floch, Eren saw that the people from the outside world were not much different from the people of Paradis. But to complete his mission, sacrifices had to be made. However, Eren still couldn’t decide if it was worth it in the end.

With freedom ensured, the government immediately tried to restore peace. First, they dealt with the titans made by Zeke. To their surprise and suspicion, Zeke was willing to help them by commanding the titans to stay still while the soldiers cut them down. The government would have imprisoned Zeke and Eren for their actions, but it was Armin who pointed out that it would be pointless. They could simply use their powers to escape. The public still hold a positive view of Eren, so imprisoning him would not help. It helped that the brothers were cooperating.

Due to her pregnancy, Historia could not directly do her official duties. Darius Zackly was dead. Hange, who turned out to be alive, was chosen as the new Commander-in-Chief. She was busy reorganizing the military, which had lost so many soldiers due to the battle.

Levi turned out to be alive as well. He barely survived the explosion from Zeke and was still recovering. However, he lost his fingers as a result, effectively ending his career as an active soldier. His face was scarred from the shrapnel of the spears. After hearing about Mikasa’s death, Levi refused to see Eren, who didn’t blame him.

The same went for the remaining Special Operations Squad. Other than a beating from Connie, they avoided Eren and refused to talk to him. Zeke was the only person who would talk to him. This was why Eren was surprised that Armin still defended him and Zeke after everything that had happened.

_So this is the price of freedom…_ Eren thought. His friends and comrades refused to talk to him. The person who stood by him despite his flaws and mistakes was now dead. He looked at Mikasa’s grave in front of him.

“I’m so sorry, dad. I failed. I couldn’t save her…” he whispered. He had three years left due to the Curse of Ymir. He wanted nothing more than for the three years to come quickly.

“How much did she mean to you?”

Eren turned to see Zeke standing behind him. His half-brother was nothing but sympathetic towards him. Eren turned away, “I did all this to make sure everyone will be free. I did this especially for her and Armin. But she’s gone and I don’t know if her death is worth the sacrifice.”

Zeke couldn’t help but hurt for his brother. Since Xavier, he desperately searched for a similar connection he had with his mentor. He was ecstatic when he thought Eren agreed with his euthanasia plan. He was hopeful that he found someone who understood the experiences he went through or so he thought. He did find the connection he was looking for, just not in the way he expected. While he still struggled with his former nihilistic views of Eldians, he was willing to support his brother. He didn’t want to lose this connection he searched for. He sighed. He hoped his theory worked.

“Ever since our time at the Paths, I couldn’t help but wonder how we can influence the past,” Zeke said.

Eren frowned. Why was Zeke talking about this?

Zeke continued, “When we were looking at our father’s memories, Dad called out to me. You saw that. He called out to me. Me from the future relative to his time. It’s as if our times had intersected in that moment. It was like we unknowingly affected the past with our own memories.”

Finally, Eren turned his head, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying what if we can send the memories we have now to ourselves in the past using the Paths? So that our past selves will know what to do to prevent as much deaths as possible.”

* * *

“This sounds insane,” Jean said.

After Zeke presented his theory to Eren, the younger man immediately jumped at this chance to undo as much tragedy. Remembering his mistakes, Eren wanted to let Armin, Jean, and Connie know about it.

“I know it does, Jean, but it’s possible. I’ve seen how we can influence the past. I’ve seen it happen with Dad and Eren Kruger,” Eren said.

“What do you mean?” Armin questioned.

“When Eren Kruger was about to pass on his powers to Dad, he said that Dad needed to save you and Mikasa. How the hell did he say that when he did not even know who you are?”

“And Dad called out to me when we looked at one of his memories,” Zeke added.

The three men were stunned at what they heard.

“And how would you do it?” Connie asked.

“We use the Founding Power and the Paths. When we came into contact, Eren and I ended up at the Paths. We can use the Founding Power to order the Founder Ymir to send our memories back down the Paths.”

“But isn’t Ymir’s only purpose is to sculpt us and our titan forms?” Armin countered. The three had learned the truth about Ymir and her purpose as a slave from Eren and Zeke earlier in their discussion.

“That’s just it. That is the only thing we know that Ymir does. What if there’s more she can do?” Zeke said.

Silence filled the room. Armin, Jean, Connie all sat back, processing what they had just heard. After a while, Armin spoke up, “Let’s do it. We have to save them.”

“Yeah, we owe them this much to do this,” Jean agreed.

“Especially Sasha and Mikasa. They deserve this,” Connie said.

Eren nodded, “Thank you, all of you. Zeke and I will send our memories back to the past.”

Armin looked at him sharply, “What about me? You need as much help as you can get.”

“I know, I know, it’s just…” Eren smiled sadly, “I want to prevent you from ever becoming the Colossal Titan. I want you to live a long life.”

Armin choked, touched by Eren’s admission. It was relieving to hear this after their last encounter.

Jean spoke up, “Eren… even if we send those memories, there’s no telling what will happen after that. History may repeat itself and we could end up in a similar situation when we passed on the Colossal Titan to Armin.”

Eren was struck by this. He hadn’t considered that.

“So what will you do if that happens, Eren?” Jean questioned.

Eren sighed, “If it comes to that, then I’ll let the titan power be passed on to whoever because it’ll mean that they’ll get to live a little longer. I really hope it won’t come to that.”

Jean nodded, satisfied with his answer. “This brings me to my next point. Eren, even if we don’t end up with a similar situation and we capture a Titan power, there’s the issue with who to pass the power onto.”

“I’ll take it,” Eren immediately said. He didn’t like where this was going.

“That’s the thing, Eren. You don’t have to shoulder all of this responsibility on your own. We stood by you knowing the dangers, especially Sasha and Mikasa. If passing a Titan power onto one of us means preventing as much tragedy from happening, then so be it. All we ask of you is to trust us, Eren.”

“I agree,” Armin said. Eren looked at his old friend. He continued, “The thing is, Eren, I don’t ever regret becoming the Colossal Titan. True, it terrified me that I only had thirteen years to live as a result, but… I wouldn’t change a thing about it if it meant taking a bit of weight off your shoulders.”

Tears started to form at the corner of Eren’s eyes. He was touched that despite all the tragedy, his old friends were still ready to stand by him. He didn’t deserve this.

“I think we can agree on one thing,” Connie cut in. Everyone looked at him. “Sasha and Mikasa cannot become titans unless we can’t help it. They, out of all of us, deserve to live as long as we can help it. Hell, if people had to choose between Sasha and me to become a titan, I would volunteer in a heartbeat for Sasha to live just a while longer.”

“And Mikasa may not be able to become a shifter anyways because of her Ackerman bloodline,” Jean pointed out.

Zeke grimaced, “Actually, there is something I wondered about her and Levi.”

“What is it?” Eren asked.

“Well… the Ackerman family have been within the walls for one hundred years, right?”

“Yes, what does this have to do with anything?”

“Since they went on the run from the King of the Walls, have you considered the possibility that they intermixed with Subjects of Ymir while in hiding? A lot can happen in a hundred years.”

Eren slowly widened his eyes, realizing what Zeke was implying. “So you’re saying…”

Zeke nodded, “Yes, there’s a chance that Mikasa is descended from Subjects of Ymir through her Ackerman bloodline, so there is a possibility that she can become a titan. The same applies to Levi.”

Eren banged his hands on the table, “Then we make sure she doesn’t become one, unless we can’t help it.”

“Then it’s agreed. If a situation comes that we have to pass on a Titan power, Sasha and Mikasa cannot get it unless it’s the same that happened with Armin,” Jean said.

All of them gave their assent. For Eren’s part, he was reluctant. He didn’t want any of his comrades to take on a Titan power and shorten their lifespan. Despite the agreement he gave, he was still going to ensure that his friends live long. Titan powers be damned.

Zeke leaned forward, “Good, now we have to come up with a plan for our past selves to follow to prevent as many deaths as possible.”

* * *

_A few days later…_

“Remember our plan for the past, Eren?” Zeke asked.

Eren scoffed, “Of course I do. We spent days discussing it.”

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just that we can’t fail.”

“Let’s hope your theory works first.”

“Right…”

They were getting ready to come into contact again. Armin, Jean, and Connie were in the same room to watch.

Zeke held his hand out to Eren, “Are you ready?”

Eren nodded. Before he could lift his hand, Armin called out, “Eren.”

He looked at the blonde man. Armin said, “Save her, Eren. You have to save her.”

Eren blinked in surprise. He responded, “That’s why I’m doing this, Armin.”

Armin nodded, satisfied. Then, Eren took hold of Zeke’s hand.

* * *

_Five Years Ago…_

Some of the images come in flashes. Others stay longer.

Eren can make out many of the words.

_I’ll wrap that thing as many times as you want._

_If I go on living, everyone will keep suffering!_

_If we kill every last one of our enemies out there, will we be finally free then?_

_I just keep moving forward… until my enemies are destroyed._

_Mikasa. I’ve always hated you._

_It wasn’t supposed to be like this!_

_Save her, Eren. You have to save her._

Finally, a final image comes and it stays the longest. Eren sees Mikasa laying on the ground, her eyes staring blankly. There is a puddle of blood around her.

He screams.

“Eren!”

“What the hell, you crazy bastard?!”

Eren looks up. He notices that he is sitting on a bed. Armin and Jean are in the same room, looking at him in surprise and worry.

_What just happened?_

“Eren, are you okay?”

He looks to see the person sitting next to his bed and doesn’t expect to see Mikasa Ackerman. Unexpectedly, a sense of relief and joy overwhelms him. He doesn’t know where the feeling comes from. He doesn’t notice the tears going down his face.

Mikasa looks at him in worry, “Eren?”

Without a second thought, he leans forward and hugs her tightly.


	2. Chapter 2

He doesn’t know how long he held onto her. He never noticed Mikasa slowly bringing her arms up and wrapping them around him. All that matters is that she is here. She is alive. The tears continue to stream down his face.

After what feels like hours, he finally opens his eyes. He is shocked to see the sight before him. He doesn’t see Armin and Jean’s confused and concerned faces. No, Eren sees another man, a mirror image of himself. The only difference is the hair length. The man does not take notice of him. Instead, he is staring at Mikasa. He looks at her as if he hasn’t seen her in years. As if she is a sight to behold. Finally, he looks at Eren, who is struck by his vibrant green eyes, same as his own.

There is pleading in his eyes when he says, “Save her. Save them all.”

The man fades away and Eren is left confused.

“Eren?” Mikasa asks.

He slowly lets go of her and sits back on the bed. Despite her confusion, she notices the tears and takes out a cloth. She leans over to him and wipes them off. While she does so, Eren gets a good look at her. The evening sun shines through the window. Her skin glows in the light, making her look ethereal. So otherworldly. There is a gentleness in her grey eyes. He realizes he never truly seen such a thing before during all the years he had known her. Or maybe he just never noticed…

Suddenly, Eren sees another image of her. In this one, she is staring up at him, holding onto the red scarf wrapped around her neck. Despite the chaos around them, she is smiling with tears at the corner of her eyes.

_You wrapped this scarf around me. Thank you._

At this moment, Eren doesn’t question what he sees. It doesn’t occur to him that this moment has never happened in his life. Instead, he continues to stare at her. He thinks to himself about what a fool he has been this whole time.

* * *

Later that night, he finally gets the chance to mull over what he had seen earlier. He realizes that everything he had seen have never happened in his life. He remembers the man from before. The one who begged him to save her. He had the same green eyes as Eren. His face structure was the same. And if he had cut his hair to the same length as Eren’s…

The man is himself. Everything he had seen are memories from the future. Eren remembers the image of Mikasa lying in that pool of blood. Despite the blanket covering his body, he starts to feel cold. He now knows what the man meant.

Mikasa will die in five years and it will be all his fault, but there is a reason why his future self sent these memories. He won’t make the same mistakes as his older self did. It’s not an option.

He thinks of the other details that these memories provide. They shock him as well, though not to the same degree as Mikasa’s death.

Bertholdt and Reiner were working with Annie, who had encased herself in crystal earlier. They were the ones who broke through Wall Maria that day. The ones who killed his mother. If he didn’t have the memories, Eren would have gotten out of bed and gone straight for them. He would have make them pay. However, the memories of their circumstances stop him.

They didn’t know any better. They thought that the people on this island were devils that needed to be exterminated. They believed the propaganda that Marley fed them. Eren sees a memory of Reiner on the floor in tears with a boy named Falco watching from the background. He can see how affected Reiner’s psyche will be in the future. Instead of the outrage he would have felt, Eren feels pity.

There is a whole world beyond the Walls and it wants to invade his home. They only see the Eldians as demons. The fact gives Eren a heavy heart, knowing that they are not much different as the ones on Paradis.

And then there is the Curse of Ymir. He only has eight years left to live. That is such little time with so much to do. He can imagine the heartbreak Mikasa will feel if she ever finds out. He couldn’t allow himself to think about it. Not yet. Ensuring Mikasa’s survival is what takes priority.

His future self and Zeke had set up plans for him to follow and he intends on doing that. Eren thinks back on the first thing he must do.

* * *

_Five Years in the Future_

“We can’t do this alone. We have to get help from people we can trust from the start,” Zeke said.

“I’m assuming you will choose Yelena,” Eren responded.

“Yes, of course. She will undoubtedly be loyal. And what about you? Who do you choose?”

Eren thought over the possibilities. Hange and Levi would definitely be willing to help. Wait, they are sending the memories five years back. That means…

“Erwin Smith.”

Armin, Jean, and Connie looked at him, realizing as well that their old commander will be alive.

“I agree. Erwin can be trusted,” Armin said.

“Erwin Smith? Who is he?” Zeke asked. Oh right, he never met him…

Jean explained, “He was our commander before Hange. He was the one who led the charge back in the Battle of Shiganshina.”

Zeke, knowing what Jean meant, can only say, “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh,” Connie retorted.

Feeling the tension starting to rise, Armin quickly cuts in, “We should get Hange and Levi in as well. And you should let Jean, Connie, and I know too.”

Eren opened his mouth to say no, but then he remembered Jean’s plea to trust them. Thinking about it, he relented, “Okay, I’ll do that.”

Armin gave a smile, one that is almost bright as it used to be back in their youth.

* * *

The next day, Eren requests to speak with Erwin, Hange, and Levi. He also asks to have Armin, Jean, and Connie to be brought in.

“What do you wish to speak about, Eren?” Erwin asks, gazing steadily at him from his desk. The others in the room look to Eren, waiting for him to start.

Eren takes a deep breath before he begins, “When I was recovering from the fight with Annie, I had what I thought was a dream. A vision.”

“Was that why you screamed all of the sudden yesterday?” Armin asks.

“Yes, and I noticed that these visions were too real. They showed events that never happened in my life. Eventually, I finally realized what they were. There are memories from the future. They were sent from myself five years from now.”

Everyone is stunned into silence. For several minutes, no one dares to say anything as they process the information. Finally, Levi expresses his suspicion, “Future? What are you going on about, brat? That is far off.”

Hange agrees with him, “He’s got a point, Eren. Even for me, it’s a little far-fetched.”

“Kenny,” Eren says.

Levi’s eyes harden at the name, “What did you just say?”

“Kenny was the one who taught you how to survive after your mother died. You told me in the memories.”

Levi stands shocked, his eyes slightly widened. He never told anyone other than Erwin. Knowing this too, Erwin raises his brows, surprised as well. The others look at Levi, wondering if it is true.

He concedes, “He’s right. The brat has memories from the future.”

The confirmation leaves them reeling. Erwin is the only who remains calm, “Then you have information that will be helpful to us.”

“Yes, everything about the Walls, the Titans, and the world.”

At the prospect of finally finding the answers he looked for, Erwin leans forward and rests his chin on his crossed hands.

Eren continues, “Humanity beyond the Walls is not gone. We are not the last of it. It all began when a girl named Ymir found the power of the Titans. After she passed away, her power was split into nine Titan powers, each with their own unique ability. Her descendants, the Eldians, used them to create the Eldian Empire. However, they used the powers to conquer other nations. It got to a point that they began to fight amongst themselves. One nation, Marley, took advantage of this. With the help of the Tybur family, who have the Warhammer Titan, they overthrew the Empire and took possession of seven of the Titans. One of the two that was not taken is the Founding Titan, which allows the user to create and control Titans. However, it only works if the user is from the royal family.”

He pauses to see if anyone has a question. They do not so he keeps going, “The 145th King, Karl Fritz, fled to this island with other Eldians. Here, he created Colossal Titans and commanded them to form the Walls.”

Hange widens her eyes, “So that’s why there was a Titan in the Walls, but how do the Church of the Walls know about this when no one else does?”

“Because he used the Founding Titan to erase the memories of the people within the Walls, making us think we are the last of humanity.”

With his theory finally confirmed, Erwin presses, “Then why keep us ignorant?”

“There is more to this story. It turns out that Karl Fritz, along with the Tybur family, orchestrated the war. They were disgusted with the Eldians and their methods. King Fritz believed that their sins could not be atoned for. So he announced to the other nations that if they disturb the peace he established, he would unleash the Colossal Titans in the Walls upon the world. However, that was never his intention. He made a renunciation of war, one that is passed onto his descendants. Anyone from the royal family who inherits the Founding Power cannot use it. By erasing the people’s memories, he kept us subservient and isolated. His intention was to have us slowly die off as a way to atone for our ancestors’ sins.”

Levi retorts, “That’s idiotic. How can we atone for something our ancestors did? Especially if we don’t even know about it?”

Hange questions, “Then what about the Titans outside the Walls? Where do they come from?”

“The Eldians that remained with Marley became second-class citizens and were forced to live in internment zones. They are taught to believe that they are devils on earth and must be punished. Marley keeps them alive to maintain a supply of potential holders of the seven Titans. However, if any Eldian is caught committing supposed wrongdoing, they are turned into Pure Titans outside the Walls on this island. This is done by injecting them with Titan spinal fluid.”

Erwin remains neutral while everyone else is shocked at this reveal. Horrified, Hange stutters, “So all this time, we’ve been…”

“Yes, the Titans outside the Walls were once humans.”

Hange takes a step back, remembering all the things she had done with Titans. To Sonny and Bean. Eren softens sympathetically, “You didn’t know, Hange.”

“How does one inherit a Titan power if there are Pure Titans?” Armin asks.

Eren sighs. He dreads this part. “To gain a Titan power, one must be turned into a Pure Titan and then devour a user. However, this comes at a price. After inheriting a power, they only have thirteen years left to live because the Founder Ymir only lived that long after gaining hers. If the holder dies without passing their power, then an Eldian child will inherit it.”

Realizing the implication, Jean stutters out, “Then if you can turn into a Titan, then you must have eaten someone to be able to do so.”

“Yes,” Eren confirms softly.

Armin looks at Eren, whose eyes are downcast. He can only think of one person. Still, he needed to know for sure.

“It was your father, wasn’t it? That was why he disappeared that day. It was Grisha,” he asks somberly.

Eren exhales and nods. Armin breaths out shakenly, “How? How did he have a Titan power?”

“He once lived in Marley as an Eldian citizen. His younger sister was killed by a Marley officer, which motivated him to join a group called the Eldian Restorationists. Through them, he met Dina Fritz, a member of the royal family who remained. Together, they had a son named Zeke.”

“You have a half-brother?!” Connie interrupts. Eren just keeps throwing surprises at their faces.

“Yes, but let me finish first.” Connie shuts his mouth and Eren continues, “The Marleyan government decided to start a program to train Eldian children to become Warriors. The reason was to prepare for a mission to infiltrate the Walls and take the Founding Titan. Dad and Dina decided to enter Zeke into the program to act as a spy. However, Zeke realized how dire the situation was becoming because the authorities were starting to gain onto the Restorationists. If he let this go on and they were caught, his entire family would be sent to become Titans on the island. So he made the decision to betray Dad and Dina to protect himself and his grandparents. When Dad and the Restorationists were sent to the island, an informant saved Dad. His name was Eren Kruger and he was a wielder of the Attack Titan. He entrusted Dad with the mission to get to the Walls and take the Founding Titan before passing on the power to him. You can imagine the rest. Dad did get to the Walls, met my mother, and had me. He did succeed in his mission on the day Wall Maria collapsed.”

“And he passed his powers onto you. You have both the Attack and Founding Titan,” Erwin finishes for him.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“You said that Marley started a program to have Warriors infiltrate the Walls. Were they the ones who broke into Wall Maria that day? Was Annie one of them?”

“Both are also true. Bertholdt Hoover is the Colossal Titan. Reiner Braun is the Armored Titan.”

Jean, Armin, and Connie startle in shock.

“Bertholdt?! Reiner?!” Jean shouts.

“No, that can’t be…” Armin says hoarsely.

“How could they…” Connie whispers.

There is anger in Levi’s eyes when he says, “We have to get them into custody right now.”

“No,” Eren quickly says to stop him.

“No?! We have them within our hands! They have to pay for what they’ve done!” Jean yells indignantly.

“We will catch them, but I already have a set of plans to do that.”

“Oh? And what are these genius plans, you crazy bastard?”

Eren sighs, “Apparently, I’m not the only one who have these future memories. Zeke should have them too. His future self also sent his back. We already formulated a plan for us to follow. I already completed the first part.”

“What is it?” Erwin asks. He is the only who looks outwardly calm.

“Letting everyone in this room know about this.”

Armin becomes confused, “Why didn’t you let Mikasa in on this? You know she would be willing to help.”

To his surprise, there is grief in Eren’s eyes, “Because we agreed that we needed to protect her as much as we can. She and Sasha are the reasons why these memories were sent to me.”

Armin is afraid to know what this reason is. However, curiosity gets the best of him and he asks tentatively, “Why? Did something terrible happen to trigger this?”

“Yes, they will be killed five years from now.”

Connie stumbles back, “No, not her. Not Sasha…”

Armin stares at the floor, taking it in. Mikasa? Dead? How could this happen? It could never happen. No, it must never happen. He looks up with resolve, “Then we have to follow whatever you and Zeke had planned out if we have to save them.”

“But how do you know if we can trust Zeke? What if he decides to let Marley know about his future memories?” Levi questions.

Eren responds, “I have no way of proving that right now, but he did set up a point where we have to extract him. If he follows through, then we’ll know.”

“Then I hope that he does. We need as many allies now that we know what the situation is. Everything said in this room is to be kept between us. We are in more danger than ever,” Erwin says firmly. His eyes trail to Eren, “And I have a feeling that there are even more details. I trust you’ll keep us informed.”

“Of course.”

“Good, then what are these plans that have been made for us?”

“The next part of it is actually Zeke’s extraction and it’s coming very soon.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow. He’ll be sent here on a mission by Marley and he won’t be alone. We have to get him out without his escort suspecting him.”

“A mission? What is he going to do?”

“He’s supposed to turn a village called Ragako into Titans. It’s one of his abilities as the Beast Titan.”

Hearing the name of his home, Connie becomes panicked, “Ragako?! We have to stop him!”

“I know, Connie. The plan is timed so that we get him out before he can do that,” Eren tries to reassure him.

Erwin narrows his eyes, “We’re still not sure if we can trust Zeke, so tell us everything about his Titan power. We need to be prepared if he decides to turn on us.”

Eren nods. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

* * *

After Eren lays out everything, Erwin dismisses them and encourages them to rest. However, after all that he had revealed to them, Eren knows that no one will be able to sleep tonight. He knows he won’t.

Armin follows him to his room. He can tell that his best friend wants to talk privately. When he closes the door, he turns to see Armin staring at the floor. After a moment, he looks up. There is pleading in his eyes, “Eren, you mentioned the Curse of Ymir. A wielder only has thirteen years to live. That means you have…”

Eren looks down, “Yes, I have eight years left.”

There is devastation on Armin’s face as he collapses onto the chair next to the bed, “N-no, that can’t be. There has to be a way around it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eren whispers.

Armin becomes outraged. He stands up from the chair abruptly, “What do you mean it doesn’t matter?! Do you realize what this means?! We can’t lose you! And what about Mikasa?!”

“She is what matters the most. I can’t lose her. I don’t care about the Curse. I just want her to live.”

Armin closes his mouth in surprise while Eren goes to sit on his bed. He covers his face with his hands, “Her death is going to be my fault if I don’t do something. I can’t let that happen. I can’t…”

He starts to break down. Unsure of what to do, Armin silently sits back down. The only sound in the room is that of Eren’s sobbing.

After several minutes, Armin quietly points out, “Mikasa is going to have to find out about the Curse at some point. You know how she’ll take it…”

Eren calms himself down before replying, “I know, but we will cross that bridge later. As I said, Mikasa’s survival is our first priority. Promise me something, Armin.”

“What is it?”

“After I’m gone, watch after her. Please, promise me.”

The answer comes to Armin very easily, “Of course, Eren. I want her to live just as you do.”

* * *

Pieck tries not to shift uncomfortably. She hasn’t been on Paradis very long and already she can tell that the devils were not what she expected. They just seem so… normal.

She is on top of the Wall in her Titan form. A Marleyan soldier surveys the land with his binoculars while the others patiently wait. Zeke keeps to himself, sitting a few feet away from the group while smoking.

She noticed him acting rather strange lately. Two days ago, he woke up screaming. After asking him repeatedly, he said that he was fine noncommittedly. He then spent the past two days staring into space as if he was contemplating. Pieck knows something is bothering him and she doesn’t know what to make of it.

One of the soldiers, Yelena, walks to him and taps on his shoulder. Zeke turns and she whispers to him. He nods and goes back to his cigarette. When Yelena rejoins the group, Pieck idly wonders what the female soldier said.

Finally, the soldier with the binoculars reports, “Warrior Zeke, there is a village not too far. We can release the gas there.”

Zeke stands up and stamps out his cigarette, “Very well, let’s get this done.”

An unfamiliar voice comes in, “Who the hell are you people?”

The squad turn to see a group of Eldians dressed in green cloaks. All but one are aiming rifles at them. The one person who does not have a rifle is notably shorter. He is armed with a blade in each hand. Blades? How can he fight against their far superior weaponry?

The Marleyan soldiers immediately aim their weapons back. One screams, “How did you find us, you devils?!”

Zeke raises a hand, signaling them to hold back. He steps in between the two groups, “I’ll make this quick.”

Realizing what he is about to do, Pieck goes to cover the soldiers as he stabs his hand. Seeing this, the leader of the Eldian group yells, “Fall back!”

Zeke transforms. The smoke clears, revealing his Titan form. The Eldians stare up in shock.

“Another Titan shifter?!” one screams.

“Tch,” their leader scoffs. He readies his blades.

Zeke raises an arm, supposedly to swipe them. However, in a split second, the arm is in pieces.

“What?!” Pieck says. She then notices the group leader in the air. _How did he do that?_ Pieck wonders.

She doesn’t get a chance to think more on it when he swiftly flies down to Zeke’s feet, cutting at his Achilles’ heels. Zeke yells as he falls forward like a ragdoll.

“No way…” Yelena says in horror.

“They are truly devils,” a soldier comments.

The man then flips onto Zeke’s nape and slashes at it, releasing him. Zeke comes out screaming as the man cuts his arms off.

“Zeke!” Pieck screams. All the Marleyan soldiers aim their guns at the man.

“Release him, devil!”

The other Eldian soldiers aim their rifles back at them as the man takes hold of Zeke. He presses a blade against Zeke’s neck. Pieck becomes nervous. The man could behead Zeke and cut his spinal cord as a result.

The man threatens, “Back off or I’ll take his head off.”

A soldier readies to fire his gun, “Prepare to die, devil!”

“Stop!” Zeke screams.

Pieck and the soldiers look at him in surprise. They can see that he is trying to keep calm despite the sword at his throat. He looks at Pieck, “Take the soldiers and retreat. It’s obvious that we didn’t know what we were getting into.”

She looks back in shock, “But—“

“That is an order, Pieck! Our position has been compromised! Now go!”

She freezes, deciding whether she should listen. She could try to attack the man, but she had seen that he is very quick and can easily cut her down too. That’ll leave the others exposed. While the Eldians seem to be outgunned, she didn’t want to find out any more surprises.

She relents, “Okay.”

She leans down for the soldiers to climb onto her back. After making sure they are secured, she climbs down the Wall and flees. She is afraid to report this. How is she going to explain that one of their most powerful Warriors had been captured by these demons?

And what about his grandparents? They lost their son. Now, their grandson is gone as well. What does she say to them?

* * *

After watching Pieck disappear, Levi finally takes his blade away from Zeke. He turns to the soldiers, “Scout the Walls. Make sure they are truly gone.”

“Yes, Captain!”

He makes sure that they are out of earshot when he speaks, “That was pretty good acting on your part.”

Zeke grimaces, “It wasn’t really acting. We’ve had a few confrontations if memory serves.”

“Hm. I’m surprised you actually gave the signal.” This signal was when Zeke said that he would make things quick.

“I see you weren’t too sure about me.”

“A Titan shifter from the outside world who is willing to help us? Doesn’t that sound too good to be true?”

“I can’t refute you there. Is Eren doing his part right now?”

“Yes, and does Yelena know what to do?”

“She’ll do what I told her to do when she gets back. Right now, we’ve got work to do.”


End file.
